Building block and wall construction



Aug. 20, 1935. I c. w. ROBERTS 2,012,024

BUILDING BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION I Filed Aug. 14, 1954 45 fir??? Patented Aug. 2 0, 193 5 BmmNG-BmcK'Ann WALL CONSTRUCTION harles ltoberts, "LosAngelesrcalifa I b I a I Application'August 14, 1934, serial No. 739,727 I Y r My invention relates to a building block and wall construction and has for its principal object, the provisiono'f a relatively simple, practical and inexpensive block formed of cement or suitable self-hardening material that is especially ole signed forthe erection of building walls and partitions and which block is constructed so that it will interlock with the adjacent blocks inthe wall or structure so asto effectually resist both longitudinal and lateral 1 strains, that would otherwise tend to separate the assembled blocks. further object of my invention istto provide a building block that is capable of being produced at'or near the point where the blocks are to be used "and to be laid by unskilled labor, thereby enabling building Walls and thejlike to be very economically erected. a V A furtherobject of my invention is, to produce a building block having .a'gene'ral shapeof tape.

- estry bricky thatlare now' generally used in. build:

ing constructions. by I Y 4 Further objects of'myinvention are, to provide building blocks that are constructed'so. that the,

corners ofwalls formed of thegblocks may be reenforced'jwith concrete and 'metal rods; also to provide blocks of' special construction, that are arranged at the sides of a door or window opening in a wall or partition and which blocks are capable ofbeing reenfoi'cedby concrete and metal rods and also, to provide speciall'y formed blocks that constitute the upper'courses of walls or par-. titions'and which blocks are grooved for the reception of longitudinally disposed reenforcing members or timbers'o'r the wall plates that serve as anchorage and poi ts of'attachment for the roof rafters.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists in certain novel' features of construction and arrangements of parts that will 'be hereinafter more fully described and claimed andfillustrated in the accompanying drawingin which: r I

Fig.1 is a perspective view of a buildingblock constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryperspective view of one end of the building block. Fig. 3 is across section taken on'the line3-3 ofFig.1." V Fig; 4 is' a, longitudinally vertical section taken through a portion of a wall constructed of my improved building blocks. v 1 Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the corner of a building structure and showing the reenforcement used at said corner. 7 a

"Fig, 6. is a perspective-view of a porti'on of a wall or partition at the side ofiadooror window opening and showing the reenforcem'entf-in the wall at the side of said opening. I. a

I Fig. '7 isa perspective'view of the form ofblock used in the top courses of wallsandwhichblocks are grooved longitudinally for the reception of the Wall plate or longitudinally disp'osed reenforcing'rods. f Fig. 8 is a sectional View of the upper portion ofa building wall constructed of the blocks with a wall plate positioned on top of'saidf wall to form anchorage for the lower ends of roofrafters.

I Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing-which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, it] designates'a blocli preferably formed of cement or other-"similar self-hardening material. In some instances it may be found advantageous to construct the blocks from asphaltum, clay or a self h'ardening plastic composition having sawdust as one of its principal ingredients. The blocks are substantially rectan'gmar in form and may be made in any size and the lengthy of each block is twice the width th'ereoff I A block which may be convenientlyuse'din the; erection of building walls and partitions will measure '16 inches in lengthfB inches inwidth and approximately 2 inches in thickness. Each 7 size and shape as-said'depression.

Formed in the upper face of the block "at one end thereof, is a recess or depression l4. the width and depth of whichare practically thesame as the width and depth of recess I2. 'Formed'inte-' gralwith the end of the body of block' l0, directly below recess I2, is an outwardly projecting, rectangular lug Hi, the width of which is equal to the width of recess l4 and the height of said lug equals the height, or thickness of'block l 0.

The upper face of lug l5 and the bottom face of" v recess [4 occupy the same horizontal plane.

Inasmuch as the height of lug I5 is equal to the height or thickness of block 10, a portion of said 1ug l5 extends a short distance below the under surface ofthe block, this distance equaling the depth of the recesses l2 and i4 and this "depend n UK - PATENT OFFICE-1i? ing thickness of the lug extends lengthwise of block II! for a distance equaling the length of .recess l4 or the distance from the outer face of width of which is equal to the width of notch 16.

' recesses l-2, M-and ll.

;';.are laid end to end, the lug I 5 or oneend of each block fits into the notch Hi in the end of the ad,-

and likewise equal to the width of lug l5 and the depth of said recess I1 is equal to the depth of.

the recesses l2 and I4.

Formed on the underside of the block l0 immediately adjacent the lower end of notch f6, is a transversely disposed rib or lug l8,thewidth 01'. which is equal to the width of lug l5 and ..the.,

the depth or the height of said lug being equal to For convenience and economy, the "blocks are preferably cast orrformed'at or nearthepoint where-the building is to, be erected and when dried the blocks are ready to be laidinr courses to form walls,;partitions and the like.

I 'he lower course of blocks may be laid in a trench dug in the ground or on top of a foundation wall of concrete or the likeand as the blocks jacent block.

Previous to laying the blocks they may? be dippedin a relatively thin mixture of self-hard I ening material inorder to form a quick: drying bond between the blocks and for this purpose a mixture of approximately equal; parts of quick drying cement and water may be used;-

In laying the blocks to form a course, the ends of the'blocks are broughttogether so that the recesses I4 and I! register with eachother and provide-a recess-that equals the size of the recesses ll and in laying the second course 01' blocks the joints between the blocks of the second course are broken or offset "with respect to the joints of the first course so that the lower portion of the-lug l5 at one endfot a second,

7 course block and the lug l8 on the end of the ad-' jacent block, combine to form a depending projection that is equal in size to the lug l3 andwhich depending projection occupiesthe recess l2 that is formed in the central portion of, the upper face of the underlying'bl'ock.

1 The lugs I3 that depend from the centers of the blocks occupy the recess that isformedirr the joint between the blocks of the underlying course between the combined recesses Hand 1 l Thus the blocks are laid in courses with broken joints as illustrated in Fig. 4 and-both ends of each block are interlocked with the ends of the next adjacent blocks so as to effectively resist both. vertical and lateral strains or movement that would otherwise tend to separate the blocks. Further, the central portion of each block is interlocked with the ends of the adjacent blocks by means of the lower portions of lugs l5 and I8: that engage in the recesses l2 and thus the blocks in the entire wall structure are tied to each other so as to produce an especially strong structure that will effectively resist; vibration and displacement as a result of wind, strains and pressure and earth tremors r At the corners of a building structure composed of my improved blocks reenforcing may be provided by filling thevertically disposed air pocketor chamber that is formed by the openings H, with concrete or the like and with reenforcing rods imbedded in said concrete as 11-- lustrated in Fig. 5;

.which blocks are provided with vertically disposed notches. l9, which when aligned with each. -other, provide vertical grooves or channels for the reception of upright timbers to which the door orwindow frames are secured.

In order't'o accommodate the plates at the tops of wa1ls,:specially formed blocks of the type illustrated in ,Fig. 7 may be provided and these bl'ocksareconstructed with longitudinally disposed grooves ZO in, their upper. faces. When theseblocks are laid so as to form the top course of a wall, the grooves 20 in said blocks align with each-;other to. form a continuous longitudinal groove that is adapted to receivea wall plate such as 2| or! longitudinally disposed reeniorcedrods.

Where theegrooves 20-.receiveawall plate as illustrated in Fig; 8, said wall plate provides an;-

chor a'ge and a point of attachment for the lower ends of the roof rafters 22.

Where awall or partition structure of any considerable height is-produced', a course on courses of blocks of the formillustratedin Fig.1 may be laid. at various elevations inthe height of;v the wall and horizontally disposed reenforcing rods are laid inconcrete inthelgroov'es 20, thereby providing an effective reenfo'rcement for theentire structure. i l V i .To further reenforce a wall. or partition, every fourth, fifth or sixth vertically-disposedchamber formed by the coinciding opening H may be filled with concrete or the like.

Thus it will be seen thatI have provided a;

building blockand: wall structure that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive in production: and'erection and very efiective in per forming the'functions for whichit"is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size,- form and construction ofithe various parts of my improved building-block and Walloonstruction' may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the-spirit of my invention, the scope of which is-setforth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: q

1. A building block, comprising a substantial-. 1y rectangular body, there being a recess formed inthe ce'ntral portion of the upper face of said block; alug depending .from the central portion of the: un'derface of saidblock, there being a recess'formed inthe 'upper portion of the body of- .the block adjacent :one end thereof; a lugpro lower portion of said inverted L-shaped recess.

a 2. A building block as set forthin claim 1, and

7 there being vertically disposed openings formed through the body of said block between the ends thereof and the centrally arranged recess and depending lug. 1 3. A building block, comprising a substantially rectangular body, provided at one end in its upper portion with a, recess, a lug projecting from the end of the body below said recess, the lower portion of which lug projects below the bottom of the body' of the block, the opposite end of the block provided with an inverted L-shaped recess and 2, lug depending from the side of the block adjacent the lower end of said inverted L-shaped recess. 45A building block as set forth in claim 3, an

said block having vertically disposed openings formed between its longitudinal center and its 6 ends.

' V CHARLES WESLEYROBERTS. 

